Ministry of I&B Invites Applications for Private FM Stations in 11 Tamil Nadu Cities as Part of National FM Radio Expansion

Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan has announced that the ministry is inviting applications for new private FM radio stations in 11 cities in Tamil Nadu. These cities currently do not have private FM stations. During an interaction on an ongoing FM radio auction with various chambers of commerce in Chennai, the Union Minister highlighted the achievements of the government in its first 100 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. He noted that 15 lakh crore rupees have been allocated for various development projects, and 1,500 old laws that hindered business growth have been removed.

The Minister also mentioned that 3 lakh crore rupees have been allocated for infrastructure development. He emphasised that several welfare schemes have been launched to promote the overall development of society, which aim to make India a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. Regarding the FM radio expansion, Dr. Murugan said auctions for 234 new private FM stations across the country began on October 14, with 11 cities in Tamil Nadu set to benefit. He attributed the revival of radio’s popularity to Prime Minister Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” programme.

Joint Secretary Sanjeev Shankar revealed that cities like Coonoor, Dindigul, Karaikudi, Karur, and Thanjavur, among others, will soon have private FM channels, with the bidding process for three channels per city already underway. The last date to apply is November 18, 2024.